Neon Genesis Avengers
by Azure Dragon of the East
Summary: And there came a day... A day unlike any other. When a band of Earth's mightiest heroes found themselves united against a common threat. To fight the battles no other could alone. On that day... the Avengers were born.
1. Origins: Fight for Freedom Part 1

_Disclaimer: All fictional characters, settings, and objects are copyrighted by their respective owners. _

* * *

The year is 1942. The world is at war once again as the Axis powers march across Europe and Allied forces rally in opposition. This story, however, begins across the Atlantic.

_New York City_

Affectionately known as the big apple, New York was heralded as the gateway to the land of opportunity with its tall skyscrapers. It is within this city that we turn our attention to a young man standing outside an army recruiting office. He was not an impressive individual; he was short, scrawny and looked rather frail and unhealthy but his eyes burned with determination and courage. His lightly tan skin contrasted a little with his short dark brown hair and blue eyes. With a deep breath, he entered the office to begin his enlistment.

"I want to enlist sir." Musashi Lee Strasberg said somewhat meekly.

_Later_

"Strasberg, M. Lee"

The young man was already not on the most likely to be trusted list, as he was of Japanese ancestry, but he wanted to serve his country. He may have learned plenty of his Japanese heritage; but he himself was a true blue American.

The recruiter looked him over and at his file for a minute before he slapped his rubber stamp on his card.

**4F**

"I've been rejected?" he asked.

"Son, not only are you too young but you got enough illnesses that would have you bedridden for the entire war."

"Come on, give me a chance."

"Kid, you're only 14 years old. You got asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, sinusitis, chronic colds, high-blood pressure, heart palpations; you fatigue easily, your family has a history of heart disease and you have hereditary diabetes. You'd be ineligible with just one of those."

"There's gotta be something you can do for me."

"I'm doing it; I'm saving your life."

He said nothing as he turned and left; not noticing the pair of eyes watching him. Musashi had been left denied for service in the US forces for various health reasons. He had tried numerous times before and he was rejected every single time; this time was seemingly no different. It was soon enough that someone else had stepped in, a man that would change his life and the course of history.

"Good afternoon, young man." It was an older gentleman with a western European accent.

"Hi, can I help you, sir?"

"Maybe" was his only answer as he took Musashi's enlistment card.

"M. Lee Strasberg' what's the 'M' stand for?"

"Musashi, my mother was half Japanese. She named me after Musashi Miyamoto; he was a famous samurai."

"I can see why, you most definitely have a warrior's spirit within you," the man grinned as he looked back at the card and took out a pen. "Why do you want to join the army, to kill some Nazis?"

"No, I don't want to kill anyone. I just don't like bullies, and the Nazis are just that. I want this war to end so people don't get bullied." Musashi shook his head as he said that. The man nodded his head and stamped the paper.

"Very well, then I hope to see what you can offer to the Allies," he said as he handed him back the card.

"What?"

"I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself under supervision. War is won not by weapons but men, and you are to report to this division." The man that allowed him to pass gave him a card, one that stated he was placed in the science reserve forces. Musashi was shocked at the fact that the man had told him that he was in. this was further confirmed when Musashi took another look at his enlistment card. There, over the scribbled out rejection stamp, was the one thing that confirmed it all.

**1A**

"I'll be seeing you again very soon, Mr. Strasberg," the man grinned as he turned and left.

"Wait a minute, who are you?"

"My apologies, I am Dr. Abraham Erksine with the Science Reserve Unit."

Musashi thanked the man and left to pack for his time in the army.

* * *

It wasn't long until Musashi had returned to his home, a small tenement building he and his mother lived in before she died. It wasn't much but it was home. The only other occupants were a family with their daughter who was around Musashi's age. Said daughter was currently home, practicing dance moves for a stage show when the young recruit entered.

"Lee, is that you?"

The youth stopped when he heard the girl's voice. Looking at the source, he saw his childhood friend Maria Vincennes; a young blond-haired beauty with a fiery temper he knew all to well.

"Oh, hi Maria. I didn't know you were home already."

Musashi then took notice of Maria's current attire. It was a showgirl costume with a short skirt designed with red and white stripes. The top was sleeveless and blue with six stars on the front. It was topped off with silver high heels and opera length gloves.

"I like the new look," Musashi said with shy grin.

Maria looked down at herself and blushed a little.

"I designed this for the USO show my mom is pitching for the troops. With any luck, we'll be on stage as soon as we can find someone to play the lead role."

Musashi nodded, it was a tough time to be part Japanese, but Maria had been an oasis in a desert at the time. She never had any look of fear or hatred towards him.

"Oh, I hope it works out for you, and I have some news too."

He took a large gulp as he found it hard to say. Maria was hoping it wasn't bad news before she motioned for him to go on, "Today I managed to enlist in the Army."

Her eyes widened at the news. It was shocking to say the least.

"But Lee, you know you're not old enough to enlist."

"I caught a break."

"How? You're not exactly the most athletic person in the city."

"I apparently impressed someone high up on the ladder."

Maria said nothing at his explanation, feeling a little skeptical.

"I'm heading out tomorrow."

The blond girl stepped closer.

"There's no talking you out of this, is there?" she asked.

"Maria, there are men laying down their lives. I've got no right to do no less."

She sighed in defeat; knowing that once Musashi set his mind to something, he pretty much won't stop until he accomplishes it or someone makes him stop before he hurts himself. The latter tends to happen a lot more than the former. She stepped closer and laid her gloved hands on his cheeks.

"I just want you to promise me two things: that you won't do anything stupid and you'll come back alive."

Musashi looked at the blond as earnestly as possible.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to stay alive and come back." He hugged her for a brief moment and started to pack up.

* * *

Musashi was in line with the rest of the recruits, doing his best to keep up with the regiment. One of the army superior officers just looked at him with disappointment, and then looked at Dr. Erksine.

"You sure that Jap's supposed to be here?"

"He's just as American as you are, maybe even more so because of mixed lineage. And yes he is supposed to be here."

The officer glared back the older man.

"Doctor, when you brought an under-aged, 90 pound asthmatic of Japanese descent onto my base, I let slide. I figured he was going to be an intern for you, not a candidate. You're not really boosting my confidence about this whole project."

"Physical qualities are not the deciding factor of this project."

"Do you have any idea how much groveling to the higher ups I had to do to get the green light for this?

The two returned their eyes back to the regiment as they ran through the obstacle course. Musashi was trailing behind, wheezing and gasping hard as he made his way over and under the obstacles.

"Jeez, it looks like he's gonna drop dead any second. He's making me cry."

* * *

It seemed the same on the 10 mile run as the group was already half-way done and they reached a flag marker. Musashi was trailing behind quite a bit before the officer started to speak.

"You pansies are half-way done, but I got a deal. The first guy to get the flag from this pole rides the rest of the way back with Dr. Erskine and myself. Don't start till I say so. Go."

As soon as the word go was uttered the various members of the troop started to fight amongst each other to try and climb the pole for the ride back. Musashi just waited until the officer in charge pretty much broke it off.

"Alright, you pansies, get back in li-" He didn't get a chance to finish as the flag pole came down. Musashi L. Strasberg simply walked over and grabbed the flag.

"I'll be taking that ride now." He said with a friendly smile as he got on the back of the jeep with the rest of his platoon looking dumbfounded at what happened. The officer looked back and saw what exactly the boy did; when others had tried to climb, Strasberg merely pulled out the holding pin that kept the pole up. He had to admit, that was clever.

"Not bad, Mr. Strasberg," Dr. Erksine smiled as the jeep pulled away back to base.

* * *

Across the sea, a middle age man in a lab coat purposefully strode down the hall of a massive complex. Trailing behind him was a younger man in a green full body jumpsuit that left no indication of his identity in the slightest. Secured at was waist was a standard issue pistol. They came to a stop in front of a pair of double doors with an unusual motif upon it: a skull with octopus tentacles extending out of the bottom. The elder of the duo knocked and awaited a response.

"Enter"

The older man opened the door and heeded the young soldier with him inside a large and dark office room. At the far end was an oak desk with the only source of light in the room; a single lamp. Seated at the desk, was a single man signing documents.

"Dr. Zola, how are we proceeding?" he asked.

"Everything is going just is planned; we are even ahead of schedule."

"Excellent"

"Also, I brought the man you requested."

"Thank you, Herr Doctor."

The young soldier stepped forward; feeling utterly terrified. The lamp upon the desk gave the room some illumination as it showed the commander's figure all the way up to his shoulders. From the neck up was still in the shadows but the light from the desk was enough to make an outline of his head. Not only that, but there was enough to cast a metallic shine at the crown that gave the recruit enough to see the exact color:

Red

"I have a special mission for you."

* * *

The Science Reserve Unit was still undergoing training. The officer still had his doubts, and even though Musashi kept up, he was just barely at the physical level required for the traditional service.

"You cannot be serious, doctor," the officer exclaimed.

"I've made my decision."

"Why Strasberg? We'd get in enough trouble as is just with the fact he's underage. If my superiors found out we've got a Jap in this program, especially since Executive Order 9066 was passed; they'd have both our necks."

"He's more American than I am and he has met the physical minimum and that is enough for him to be eligible."

"Yeah, by the skin of his teeth. I still don't see why you don't choose Brick. He's a fighter. Strong, athletic, tough, and…"

"…And a bully. The project requires more than just physical strength, but strength of the soul," Erksine interrupted. The leading officer rolled his eyes, and grabbed a dummy grenade and pulled the pin.

"I'll give you the fact that it takes heart to win a war. GRENADE!" He yelled out and tossed. Everyone, including Brick attempted to hide from the expected blast, everyone but Musashi himself. Only Musashi decided to prove that he would lay down his life by covering the rest with his own body, and his life seemed to flash before his eyes. Moments passed and there was no explosion, no shrapnel, no nothing and Musashi just looked up.

"Is this test?" He asked and the officer just turned around and shook his head as his perceived best ran like a coward, and Erskine smiled knowing he made the correct choice.

"Something like that and you passed with flying colors," Dr. Erksine grinned, "Come with me please."

Musashi got up and followed the older gentleman.

* * *

_The barracks_

Erksine asked Musashi to have seat as he walked in.

"I'm sure you are wondering what the purpose of this specific regiment is."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"I had just finished developing a new type of formula. A formula that would enhance the subject it is administered to, until their body had reached the peak of human condition. In simpler terms, a super soldier serum."

That was shocking to say the least. This guy was telling him about a secret project, but there was one thing that didn't quite add up.

"Why tell me this?"

"I have found the best candidate, and I am sure this formula will work. This part I'm ashamed to admit, but I once worked with the Nazi forces under Hitler. I couldn't call Germany my home, as I was forced to work on the same formula that I told you about, but this formula is complete. To my lasting shame there was one other that received it, but while the formula worked, I saw the portion of the problem: it was not the formula that was flawed but the person."

"What happened?"

"His name was Johann Schmidt. He was fascinated with my work and wanted to work with me. We toiled night and day and we had just finished the prototype. He tested it on himself but there were side effect. He became disfigured, horribly so. It was through this that I discovered how it truly works. It amplifies everything; both body and soul. A man who has known strength all his life will eventually abuse that strength but, a weak man knows the value of strength and will respect it."

Musashi remained silent, unsure where this was going.

"This regiment was established for the purpose of picking viable candidates for that serum and you, my boy, are going to be the first."

"Me?"

Erksine nodded; a proud smile upon his lips. "We begin the procedure tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock so no food or fluids after 10, understand?"

Musashi nodded.

"Afterwards, we shall celebrate with a nice glass of schnapps."

"I'm too young to drink alcohol."

"You were too young to join the army but that didn't stop you. Besides, your metabolism will be hyper-accelerated; you won't be to get drunk ever. You also won't get hangovers in the morning."

Musashi had a chuckle at that. The only guy to drink sake, whisky, or any other type of alcohol and not suffer the hangovers.

"Where's the fun in that?" He joked and Erksine caught on, and he just about went for the drinks. He stopped and sighed.

"It's a shame we can't do so tonight, but you need to be in top condition when we leave. And I need to be in the best of health as well. If things go well, then we drink." Erksine said and left the young man to sleep and rest.

* * *

Erksine escorted his young subject with him to a secret lab that was hidden right in public as a diner. It was a secret affair that only the head officer, the same one that had doubted the young man, of the science reserve corps had to attend as well. Before they went inside, Erksine then placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and pulled him aside.

"Mr. Strasberg, before we go on, I want you to make me a solemn vow: no matter what happens today and beyond, you will remain who you are inside. Not a perfect soldier, a good man."

He punctuated his statement with a light tap to the boy's chest, right where his heart is. Musashi turned his gaze to where the older scientist poked him before looking back up and smiled wholeheartedly.

"I promise, doctor"

Erksine smiled in return and guided him inside where the head officer was waiting.

* * *

**A/N: after months of planning, I have finally started one of my biggest projects. I couldn't have gotten this off the ground without Wolfpackersson09's help. This IS going to run in the same universe as Mike313's Superwomen of Eva series but it will take a little time before we get there.**

**P.S. I apologize if anyone was offended with the use of racial slurs. I meant no such offense; this was just how people actually talked in America during the 1940s. This was added to add some authenticity to the time period. **


	2. Origins: Fight for Freedom Part 2

The doctor and soldier guided young Musashi into the diner, much to his confusion. The head officer walked up to the bar and caught the waitress' attention.

"How's the pot roast today, Jill?"

"Oh, about the same as it was yesterday."

Unseen by the three, the same waitress had her hand on pistol underneath the bar. The older soldier guided the other down the hall. Once they were out of sight, the head officer placed his hand on a picture frame and rotated it around. To Musashi's surprise, the wall slid open to reveal a stair case leading down. He turned back to Dr. Erksine who simply smiled and urged him to go on but the head officer stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Listen, kid. There are going to be a lot of high ranking officials here and you're technically not supposed to be here. If anybody asks, you're 18 years old, do not tell anyone you're part Jap. Otherwise, I'll not only see you removed from this program, regardless of what Erskine says; I will have thrown into the darkest cell I can find. "

Musashi had a semi-bad feeling about it, especially from the older man's threat; but he continued on. He was selected to do his duty to his country. The room he had descended into was the highest technological laboratory he had ever seen, and so far he'd only seen the stuff at school before trying to get recruited. He was then met by a pleasant looking man with black hair, one that he had seen before in magazines.

"This is Mr. Howard Stark, and he'll be assisting me in this procedure. He's one of the best minds in the technology business." Dr. Erskine said as he motioned to said man.

"Is this young man your assistant?" Stark asked.

"No, he's the subject for the experiment."

The dark-haired man looked at Musashi then back to Erskine.

"You're serious?"

Erskine nodded. Stark looked back at the young recruit.

"Son, how old are you, exactly?" he asked.

"Fourteen"

"How could you possibly get in the Army when you're only fourteen?"

"That would be my doing, Mr. Stark but that's not important right now. Is everything ready?"

Howard nodded at the doctor before going back to the devices.

"Yep, everything's ready and set. Just say the word and we'll see if we have our first super soldier." Howard said and Musashi nodded. He was lead to a table and was injected with something by Howard.

"That wasn't so bad."

"That was just penicillin for any infections, the real thing is worse." That didn't give Musashi a lot of confidence.

* * *

In the observatory above, the head officer was meeting with several officials; both city and Army.

"Senator Brand, welcome."

"Glad to be here, Colonel."

The senator then turned to his two companions. One was an official looking man with glasses and brown hair while the other seemed more timid with blonde hair.

"Allow me to introduce Deputy Governor Kelly…"

Kelly extended his hand to shake, to which the Colonel obliged.

"…and Mr. Hank Kurgan, he's interning at the office."

* * *

After the pleasantries were done in the observation booth, the actual experiment was to begin. Musashi was wired up and placed in a tank-like device with only a single window on the door that would administer the serum to him and help it to jump-start the transformation. The roof of the tank had strange looking lamps. What for, Musashi didn't know but he had a feeling he was going to find out. Dr. Erskine then approached the tank.

"Everything alright, Mr. Strasberg?"

"Yeah, but probably a bad time to ask for a bathroom break, right?"

The doctor chuckled and then turned to Stark. The dark-haired man nodded and flipped a switch; making the tank fill with a blue-colored gas.

"Breathe it in, Mr. Strasberg. Nice and easy."

Musashi did as told and took long, deep breaths. At the same time, Erskine signaled Stark to flip another switch that turned on the lamps inside. The rays from the lamps started something inside Musashi, one that caused a lot of pain. It was then that the enhancements truly started to form. The screams of pain came from the tank were unnerving. Everyone outside was doing their best to monitor the situation and work. It was after a few minutes that everyone started to get worried about what was happening.

"Shut it down," Howard started, but a new voice came out.

"No, keep it going. I need to see it through to the end!" It was Musashi that said that.

Howard Stark wasn't so sure about, but Erskine agreed with Musashi's wishes. The procedure continued as the light from within the container grew brighter and brighter until all the instruments in the room sparked and shorted out. The lights from the tank had gone out as well. The door slid open as a mist seeped out of the darkened room. Everyone waited with bated breaths, wondering if the experiment was a success or a failure.

Just then, a hand reached out and gripped the side of the door frame. It was then followed by another on the opposite side as the scientists on the floor heard some heavy breathing. Finally, someone emerged from the dark chamber. It was Musashi, he had survived the procedure but now he was different. Gone was the sickly thin, weak boy and out came a strong looking young man. Fit and capable of fighting many enemies. A strong fourteen year old boy that was more then capable of handling a rifle.

The scientist then swarmed the young man. Erskine was the first to the boy.

"How do you feel, Mr. Strasberg?"

The boy took a quick moment to regain his bearings.

"I feel great."

Soon enough, the various officials came rushing down to see the result and to congratulate the scientist for their work. However, one of them had left a briefcase behind in the observation deck.

Dr. Erskine had just finished shaking hands with Senator Brand when Deputy-Governor Kelly stepped up.

Off to the side, the Colonel had been pulled over by a soldier who had come rushing mere seconds ago.

"What is it, soldier?"

"This just arrived, sir," the soldier answered as he handed the Colonel a telegraph.

The Colonel took the piece of paper and began to read. As he read on his eyes widened. Back with the doctor, Kelly had raised his hand to shake the doctor's as he spoke:

"The experiment was a complete success, doctor. Congratula- HEIL HILTER! [1]"

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Out of nowhere, Kelly pulled out a pistol and fired three times into the Erskine's heart.

"That's not Kelly, it's a spy!" the Colonel shouted.

Said spy then pressed a button hidden inside a lighter. The Observation deck suddenly exploded, giving the spy enough time and a distraction to escape.

"Stop him!"

Musashi had barely any time to really register what was going on, but the man that was impersonating Kelly had to be stopped. Erskine had been shot in the heart and was dying, and Musashi had a bond with the man and would refuse to let his killer go. He chased the man outside the building, which started to get some spectators as Musashi was still in the outfit for his treatment. He chased the man down the street, but stopped quickly to take cover when the impostor started to fire a few rounds. Musashi had taken some time to get people out of the way before, literally, ripping a taxi cab door to use it as a shield.

The spy continued to fire until he ran out of bullets. Once he heard the click of an empty gun magazine, the new super soldier threw the door at the assassin, knocking the wind out of him and the gun out of his hand.

Seeing his opening, Musashi charged at the assassin, knocking him into a back alley. The pretend Kelly snapped out of his daze and reached into his coat to pull out a knife. Musashi instantly went on guard the moment he saw the weapon. They circled one another around the confined space until not-Kelly swiped at him, Musashi backed away and they circled each other again. Having enough of this dance, the assassin lunged at Musashi who dodged the attack and threw his enemy behind him; the knife hand going right into the power box behind the boy.

The assassin was then shocked to a state of near death, but he could not be saved. Any chance of medical attention coming would be far too late. The electrocution had actually burned the face; revealing it to be fake. Underneath was a pale man's shriveled face. He coughed up blood and tried to speak.

"Cut off one head and two more will appear. Heil HYDRA," were the last words the fake Kelly said before dying. Musashi tried to revive the enemy, but to no avail.

* * *

Musashi had returned to the scene of Dr. Erskine's death, and he was sad that he could not prevent the scientist's death. The only thing that he could do was attend a funeral. The Colonel also was there.

"A report came in detailing a body found in the river with his face missing. They managed to identify him as Deputy Governor John Kelly."

"Then who was that impersonating him?" Brand asked.

"Intelligence suggests it was a HYDRA agent known as the Chameleon; a master of disguise and espionage. Real name and origins are unknown."

"So he killed the real Kelly and took his place just to find where this place was."

"Damn, the enemy got the jump on us. Erskine should be regarded as a hero." The Colonel said, as he respected the scientist, regardless of origins.

"When do I ship out sir?" Musashi asked, wondering if he'd have time to at least attend the funeral. The Colonel shook his head.

"Sorry, but you ain't going to war kid. I need soldiers, and you're just one. We'll find something else for you." The Colonel answered, but right then someone else came by.

"Son, I've got to tell you, that was amazing; people are still talking about what you did up there." That someone was Senator Brand, his intern not far behind, "You've become the talk of the town."

"Yeah well, it's not going to help much; Erskine's dead and the colonel is probably gonna ship me off to a lab somewhere," Musashi said, growing gloomy.

"Nonsense kid your a real American hero, and there's more then one way to serve your country." Musashi was curious about what Senator Brand was talking about.

* * *

Musashi was now waiting for something, and that something was being made by Maria Vincennes herself.

"I'm personally glad that you aren't out there fighting, but this new you is surprising." Maria said when she noticed Musashi coming in. She almost didn't recognize him at first, but that didn't stop her from working on a new costume. That costume was meant for a series of shows that would help the war effort by aiding in procuring funds.

"At least the guys at school can't call me scrawny anymore."

"They'll find that out when you see them later."

"Later?"

"Yeah, they're part of the show. Mom couldn't get any professional dancers because they're all doing their own things. I was lucky to be able to talk a number of the kids from school to do this. Flash tried to get the lead role but he couldn't act his way out of a paper bag."

Musashi chuckled at that. Eugene "Flash" Thompson was the school's reining champion quarterback on the football team. He also had a tendency to pick on Musashi because of his heritage and his thin and sickly stature; _former_ thin and sickly stature. Now, he could give Flash a run for his money.

* * *

It wasn't long until Musashi and Maria arrived at the theater where the first show would be held. Maria walked in first, the new costume kept in a bag, while Musashi followed her to where they need to go. As they went further back stage, Musashi began to hear voices of people barking orders and asking questions.

"Get that drape pinned up!"

"Chorus to wardrobe!"

"Thirty minutes to curtain!"

It was at this time that Maria and Musashi entered backstage. The super soldier took note of some the girls, who he assumed were dancers, were wearing the same costume he saw Maria wear the day he enlisted. Maria then walked up to an older blond-haired woman.

"Mom?"

Said woman turned around.

"Maria, there you are. Did you find the person Senator Brand mentioned?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's over there," Maria pointed in Musashi's direction.

"Lee, is that you? Good heavens, what happened to you?" Maria's mother asked as she approached him.

"I joined the army."

"But you're only fourteen. When Maria told me you did, I didn't think she was serious."

"I've got my dog tags with my service number on them if you want proof."

"Uh no, that's quite alright. Maria, you go and get changed."

The blond teenager nodded and walked away. As she did, she heard the other students from school talking about the new and improved Musashi. Speaking of which…

"Oh, almost forgot," she said and then handed Musashi the bag with the costume, "Here's your costume."

She then went backstage, leaving Musashi and her mother alone. The older woman took a glance at the bag, knowing what was inside and what it was meant for.

"Well Lee, it looks like you just got promoted," she said cryptically and walked off to continue preparing for the show.

Musashi stood there, feeling very confused at what she meant. Curiosity poking at his mind, he snuck a peek inside the bag to see if it gave any clues to the reason behind her words.

_Later_

"I don't know if I can do this," Musashi said.

"Relax, you'll do fine." Maria, now in full costume, tried to comfort him as she helped get his hood on.

The costume was patriotic; some would say in an almost comical way. It was mostly blue with white sleeves and a red and white striped mid section; the chest had a large white star on the center. It was accompanied by red gloves and boots. The hood that Maria was helping him got on was also blue with a built in mask that only showed his mouth, chin and nose; two eye holes allowed him to see. The mask was adorned by a big white "A" on the forehead and a pair of white wings on his temples. He only had one prop: a kite shield that was designed like the American flag.

"Show's about to start, everyone get in place," came the voice of one of the people that were assisting it. This was the start of Musashi's temporary service in morale boosting as a performer. His role was the lead that Flash Thompson tried to get. The star-spangled man with a plan; Captain America.

* * *

Musashi hadn't seen combat yet, but he was ready for it. Problem was all the 'combat' he saw was usually an actor that was dressed as Hitler trying to get the drop on him, or him bench-pressing a bunch of showgirls on a motorbike. It wasn't like his 'adventures' weren't boosting moral or spirit, but he hated being a 'pretend hero'. It was this thought as he started out with another performance, Maria being the only constant with costumes and such. This time he was entertaining troops out near the field of battle in Italy.

"How many of you are ready to help me sock ole' Adolf on the jaw?"

Not a single one of them made a reply, making Musashi feel a little awkward.

"Okay, um…" he trailed off.

"Where are the girls?" one of soldiers called out. The others shouted out in agreement.

"That, uh… That's a good question," Musashi replied.

He too wondered where they were. They stayed behind when he went overseas for the next show location. Maria said they would a short while but they would catch up to him before the next show. As it stands, they were five hours late and he was starting to get really worried.

Any further thoughts were halted when of the troops hurled a tomato at him. He managed to block it with his prop shield; at least it was good for something. Half of the troops then began to throw tomatoes and heckling him.

Musashi now started to feel bad, but he was a little worried. The stage girls had been late, and even though he didn't learn their names, Maria had been among them. He needed some answers from someone, maybe anyone. The soldiers started to calm down and disperse when Musashi had stepped off the stage itself, and looked for an officer with information.

"Look kid, I'm busy so just head off or something." Said one of the soldiers handling some letters, but Musashi wasn't going anywhere.

"Sir, I'm just asking for some information. There's supposed to be a group here helping with the troops, but they haven't shown up yet."

"Where and when were they supposed to come in?"

"They came in from Milan and should have been here five hours ago."

The soldier remained silent, as if he knew something.

"I was afraid of that. There was an attack by Hydra forces five miles outside of Milan. Three hundred men were sent in to engage, only fifty came back; they were part of your audience. We believe that your circus troupe have been taken captive along with the men."

"What about a rescue attempt?"

"Win the war, what else."

Musashi's eyes widened at that. He couldn't believe that rather then try an attempt to rescue their comrades and the captive showgirls; the officer was suggesting that they just give up on them. He needed to do something for them, and a man soon gave him an opportunity.

* * *

Musashi had some help in getting the details of the information needed from someone that he only knew as Fury. Fury even managed to set him up with a plane, one that was piloted by Howard Stark.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Howard asked and Musashi nodded with the goggles on and the prop shield ready. He got rid of the tights and the hood and opted for a helmet, standard issue infantry pants and a sidearm,

"Yeah, there's a friend waiting for me to rescue her, and I'm not giving up on our troops." Musashi finished with the parachute before getting something tossed to him from Stark.

"Here's your lifeline kid. If you find the girl, or rescue everyone then call me on that. The only way I don't get you is if there's trouble on my end. Good luck and Godspeed." Musashi placed the odd object with some other tools and jumped out of the plane.

**A/N:**

**[1] I dare someone to make a Nostalgia Critic reference.**


	3. Origins: Fight for Freedom Part 3

The forest was dark and thick at this time of night but Musashi wouldn't allow it to slow him down. Maria and the others weren't far ahead from where he landed; in a compound a few miles up the road if Fury's information was accurate. The sound of engines caught his attention as he saw from the brush a convoy of trucks heading somewhere; most likely to where everyone was being held.

He patiently waited until the last truck pulled by before he jumped into the back; right where a trio of masked enemy soldiers was sitting.

"Going my way, fellas?"

The reacted quickly upon hearing him speak English. The next few seconds were a blur to them as blows smashed into them and they soon found themselves thrown out of the back.

Musashi waited to get into the facility, and it was a big one. He just wanted to find Maria, but couldn't help but notice the super science that was there. So many strange weapons and tanks moving. No one noticed the missing soldiers, yet, but the one thing that was clear was the skull and tentacle emblem of HYDRA.

_'Alright, get in, rescue the captives, and get out alive. You can do this. It takes a good heart, head, and body to get through alive. God only knows how I'll get out.'_ He thought as the truck came to a stop, and he quickly got out and started his stealth mission.

* * *

Dr. Zola ran over the checklists and reports on his desk as several technicians barked orders to the captive soldiers on the deck below his laboratory. He was drawn from his paperwork by the sounds of moans coming from the table in the center of the room. Placing his pen down, he approached 'patient x.' the patient in question was a young blond-haired girl dressed in, in the doctor's opinion, a gaudy American flag themed dress. He watched her, waiting for any kind of response from her but got nothing; not even so much as her opening her eyes. The door then opened.

"Herr Doctor, what is a progress?" the commander of the organization asked.

"Everything here is proceeding swimmingly; our other facilities have reported the same. At this rate, we will be able to initiate the next step in a matter of weeks."

"Excellent work, Arnim. You do not disappoint," the man said as he approached the table.

It was around this time that Maria awoke. She still felt very drowsy, most likely due to something they gave her.

"And how is our patient today?"

Maria turned to the speaker and fear gripped her heart. The man in question was very tall and extremely well built. He was clad in a black uniform with an emblem of a skull with tentacles on both shoulders. But what scared her the most, was his face. It was completely hidden behind a helmet that covered the man's head. It's shape was very gaunt in design with two holes for the eyes and no mouth; it was colored a deep red, like blood. With all these features combined, it made the man's face look like a skull.

A red skull.

"No change thus far but this particular project was started a few hours ago, it may take days, weeks even before we get anything."

"I see," the skulled man the man said evenly, "Continue with your work, Dr. Zola."

With that, he left Dr. Zola to his devices.

* * *

Musashi kept his head down as he snuck around the base. It was quite a feat, since he was wearing the colors of the American flag, as opposed the usual fatigues the army issued, but he managed to succeed. It was proving difficult since he didn't know the lay of the base, but time was of the essence, and he needed to at least find Maria. He wasn't leaving without her, and he intended to get help as well.

After following a group of soldiers to what looked like a prison area, he waited until they had thinned out before Musashi struck one guard from behind and removed his keys. When he saw that there were no more in the room, he proceeded to open all the cages. As all the captive soldiers filed out, one approached him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm uh… Captain America," Musashi answered, hesitantly.

"What?" another one asked, British if he's accent was any indication.

"It's long story. Listen, were there any civilians taken in?" asked Musashi.

"A group dressed up in red, white, blue?" Another in a derby hat asked.

"Yeah"

"They're further down this hall with us except one was taken a few hours ago; a blond girl. My guess is she was taken to the isolation ward in the back."

The super-soldier nodded, now knowing where he had to go.

"Okay, You guys get everyone out of these cages and get out. Tree line is south of the main gate, about 15 kilometers. Watch yourselves, keep the civilians safe and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys there with anyone else I find."

"You gonna be okay on your own, kid?" the man in the derby asked.

"Yeah, I only knocked Hitler over 100 times."

With that, he took off; unaware he was followed by one of the inmates.

* * *

The super soldier, still followed by one of the inmates, made his way to where the group mentioned was kept. He needed to find Maria, his saving grace, and he wasn't leaving this shard of hell until he made sure she was safe.

"Uh, Cap, you got a plan?" The other inmate asked, and finally revealed himself to the young man.

"I thought I told you to get out with the rest!"

"Sorry cap, but I thought you could use some back up."

Sighing in defeat, Musashi accepted the unexpected back-up.

"Which way to the isolation ward?"

"This way," he said, pointing down a hall.

Musashi and the "new recruit" then bolted down the aforementioned hall.

"What's your name, soldier?"

"Sergeant James Barnes but my friends call me 'Bucky."

"Bucky?"

* * *

Outside, the base was in chaos as all the war prisoners ran amok, taking down or taking out any HYDRA soldiers in sight. Some had even managed to capture two of their tanks and began to open fire on the enemy.

The base commander glared at all the video monitors, watching all of his troops getting batted aside by the escapees. One screen caught his notice; the reason being two soldiers still inside moving towards the isolation ward. The older man he paid no mind but, the shorter one, however, was making quick work of any troops they came across. Having a good hunch as too the reason why, he went to work on the consoles.

(Scene Break)

"There! That's the ward," Bucky shouted, pointing to the room adjacent to the hallway.

Bucky then came to a halt as he readied the gun he pilfered form one of the guards.

"I'll cover you here, you go and rescue your princess!"

Musashi nodded and ran into the room, spotting the blond on the table.

"Maria!"

He dashed to the table and found her to be unconscious. Musashi then began to undo the straps that held her, the sudden jarring roused her awake.

"Lee?"

"Yeah. Hold on, I'll get you out of this," the super-soldier answered as he undid the last strap and helped her up.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so."

"Come on, let's get out of here!" he grasped her hand and led her out of the room, meeting up with Bucky as they made their escape.

They were getting close to the end of the trek, before the three heard clapping, as the other women in the group had left.

"I applaud you, young man."

Maria froze when she saw the man the voice and clapping hands. She tried to hide behind Musashi and Bucky, but the man continued as he approached.

"I see that Herr Erskine's work was not wasted. Proving that even a child could become a god."

"I'm no god. Just a soldier." Musashi said, but he was wary at the older man. He seemed off in many ways.

"So are gods, and what are gods but those beyond humans? Perhaps you are misguided to your own greatness."

Musashi walked forward to meet him halfway.

"Or perhaps you're insane," the super-soldier countered, "Let me guess, you must Johann Schmidt."

"Correct and you must be the famous 'Captain America.' I've heard about you but I was expecting something more."

Musashi responded with a punch to his masked face when the two met in the middle.

"How's that for 'more?"

Schmidt turned his head back to the super-soldier, his metal mask now having a fist shaped dent in the cheek.

"Not too bad," Schmidt then threw one of his own punches which Musashi used his shield prop to block, "But not good enough."

Musashi examined where Schmidt hit his shield and saw that he too left a fist shaped dent in the metal. He then caught Schmidt pulling a gun out of his peripheral vision. Thinking quickly, Musashi threw his shield like a boomerang at the weapon hand, knocking it out of Schmidt's grip. Without missing a beat, Musashi rushed in for another attack but any attempt was stopped by an explosion that rocked the compound. There was a brief pause before another one shook the building.

"It seems we shall have to finish this another time, Herr Captain."

With that, the Red Skull left, leaving Musashi, Bucky, and Maria with only themselves.

"Come on Cap, we need to get going!" Bucky said, and Musashi agreed. He didn't come here to fight, just to save Maria and his comrades. The three of them left the exploding base to meet up with the two-hundred other soldiers and the rest of the show group. That was the first time that Musashi had fought the Red Skull, but certainly would not be the last.

* * *

It seemed to be just another day in the pits, and an officer, the same one that told Musashi to give up, was making notification letters of potentially deceased people, including the group that was supposed to entertain the troops. That was until he heard the sound of footsteps and singing, women singing the song 'Star-Spangled man with a plan', the so-called theme song of Captain America. More then just him went out to see a large group of allied soldiers, and the show-girls, marching towards them. All of them being led by the same 'Star-Spangled Man with a plan', Captain America himself with Maria and Bucky by his side.

"I'll be damned," The officer muttered.

The group continued to march into the camp as many of the troops already there began to cheer loudly for the super-soldier. The base commander approached the group, to which Musashi saluted the superior officer.

"A lot of these people need medical attention and I'd like to turn myself over for insubordination."

The commander gave the young man a look.

"Not necessary, son. Just try not to make a habit out of it."

"Yes sir," Musashi smiled.

"Hey, Strasberg!" a male voice called out from the crowd.

Out came Howard Stark, looking amazed and a little irritated.

"What kept you?"

Musashi answered by pulling out the device Stark gave him; or rather what was left of it. It was snapped in half and the only thing holding it together was a piece of wire.

"My lifeline wasn't exactly durable."

"I'll just have to make the next one more durable." Howard said as he took the broken device and walked off.

"Let's hear it for Captain America!" Bucky said as they started to cheer once more, but the war was not over yet.

* * *

Fury had guessed the mission might've been a failure, but he also suspected it would be a larger success. He was waiting for the Captain himself, and a group that had earlier placed their lot with the young man.

Jackson Fury then heard the group he was waiting for. At the head was Captain Musashi L. Strasberg himself, followed by a group of soldiers. Bucky was right next to the Captain.

"Nice to see you again Captain. I can see you didn't get court-martialed for your stunt."

"Thanks for the help Jack, and we've got bigger fish to fry." Musashi said as Jack nodded.

"Yeah, HYDRA's remaining bases but current intel on their whereabouts are sketchy at best. Fortunately, we found someone who can fill in the blanks."

The assembled soldiers looked at Fury, questionably.

"Who would that be?"

The answer came in the form of a familiar blond pointing at different spot on a map while the officers circled the areas.

"Maria?" Musashi asked.

"Hi, Lee," she replied before going back to pointing at different areas.

"Maria, what are you doing here?"

"She is the one who's filling in the blanks," said Jack.

"While I was being held by the Red Skull and his doctor friend, I saw map in the room with flags on it. I also overheard them talking about their other bases. I figure the flags are where the other bases are," Maria explained as she pointed at the last spot.

"Red Skull?" Musashi asked.

"Didn't know what else to call him and the name certainly fit that mask of his."

"You and these gentlemen are going to light a fire under this 'Red Skull's' ass. I also called in a few favors and got you ringer for this job."

The door opened and in walked an older man in blue jeans and a red shirt with a yellow lightning bolt on his chest. The most odd thing was the helmet he wore: the kind that had only seen service in World War I but it had little wings added to the top.

"Captain Strasberg, meet Jason Garrick also known as the Flash."

The two shook hands in greeting.

"Pleasure to meet you, son. I heard about your rescue of the 400 soldiers; that took a lot of guts."

"Thank you, sir."

"You don't need to call me 'sir,' son; I'm not enlisted. As it stands, you outrank me."

Maria then walked up to Musashi's left.

"You'll have to finish your talk later, Lee. Mr. Stark is ready for us."

"Us?"

Rather than give an answer, the blond pulled the young super-soldier away and through the double door.

* * *

The two teens entered Starks workshop where several technicians and scientists were hard at work crating new devices and weaponry for Captain America's team; whom have dubbed themselves the 'Howling Commandos.' The two walked deeper into the room until Howard approached them.

"Ah good, you're here."

"So Mr. Stark, what do you have that'll keep my boy alive out there?" asked Maria.

Musashi's cheeks turned pink from the 'my boy' comment. Stark pulled up a sheet of cloth that looked a lot like medieval chain mail but the links were very small.

"For protection, we've got carbon polymer. It'll stop a bayonet cold but those HYDRA guys won't be coming at you with pocket knives so watch your ass."

He set down the cloth and moved towards a table with various weapon built in the forms of long shields.

"It is to my understanding that you were a little attached to your old shield?"

"It was handier than you would think."

"Maybe then, but you'll need more then a prop shield for the field. We've made quite a few, but this one is the best. Only the best for the 'Star-spangled man with a plan'." Howard joked a bit as he lifted a large circular shield. Jack had swiftly ran in and whistled right behind Howard himself.

"That looks nice, but what's it made of, iron?"

"Actually Jack, it's a mix of adamantium with shards of a mineral with unusual properties that's been dubbed 'vibranium'. Not an original name, but it works." Howard explained as he tossed the shield to Musashi. When it was in Musashi's hands, he noticed that it was heavier then the prop shield, but much lighter then expected, whether that was due to him being a super-soldier or the composition of the shield was unknown.

"It's lighter than it looks," remarked the young super soldier.

"It's nigh-indestructible, completely vibration and shock absorbent and, weighs a fraction of what a plate of steel that size does. That sucker could stop a tank shell cold and you wouldn't feel it," Howard continued with pride in his voice.

Maria looked at the new shield and then pulled out a pencil and pad to do a little sketching.

"If it's so impressive, how come it's not standard issue?" asked Musashi.

"Simple, adamantium and vibranium are the top two rarest metals on the planet. Plus, processing just one of them is ridiculously expensive. We're lucky to even have the amount you have in your hands."

"Well, I certainly like it," said Maria, "Oh, and Mr. Stark?"

"Yes?" the older man responded as the young girl pulled out the page she was sketching on.

"I had some new ideas for the uniform," she handed the man the page before giving Musashi a peck on the cheek and walking away with a coy smile.

Stark, Fury and Musashi stared at the blond as she disappeared behind the doors.

"Oh, I'd hold on to that one if I were you, pal," quipped Stark, patting the younger man on the back.

"Amen to that." Jack added and dashed off elsewhere.

* * *

The Red Skull was furious. His plans were already coming apart, even with the recently discovered object called the Cosmic Cube, he was failing because of a boy known as Captain America and a man that was known as The Flash. The Flash was so fast that none of his men would have time to properly aim before they were knocked unconscious, and Captain America with his Howling Commandos did the most damage, as The Flash was merely the high-speed scout.

"Dr. Zola, how's the project coming along?" The Red Skull asked as the masked insane scientist came forward.

"Virus-X is almost ready, but there needs to be a few more tests before it is weapon ready, but your personal attachment to summon an army from beyond time and space is more along. With the Cosmic Cube and those rune stones, we can open a portal soon enough, despite some setbacks Herr Schmidt." Zola answered, and the Skull seemed pleased.

"The Americans will be of no further concern when the portal is opened."

"It had better, Herr Doctor. My patience is wearing thin and that child is not helping matters."


	4. Origins: Fight for Freedom Part 4

_January 1943_

Captain Strasberg, Garrick and the commandos were gathered around the table in the briefing room. Fury was at the head where a single model building stood on the map before him. It was marked with a little flag with an "H" on top of it.

"Alright commandos, listen up!" Jack commanded as he point to the model building, "HYDRA's last base is here, off the coast of Greenland. We capture this one and HYDRA is out of the game. Most importantly of all, the Red Skull must be caught this time around."

The next hour was spent going over battle plans and possible surprises HYDRA might have ready for them.

"We head out at 0400. Rest up and be ready because this time tomorrow, I want the Skull behind bars."

All those present saluted and departed the room.

* * *

Musashi walked towards the barracks where he and Maria were staying for this operation. The blond girl was kept around for observation in case HYDRA had done anything to her while she was in captivity; thus far, nothing had shown.

Today, however, would prove different as the super soldier walked through the door. His childhood friend looked pale and unsteady.

"Maria, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy today. You don't need to wor-" she fainted as she was in mid-sentence.

"Maria!" Musashi rushed forward and caught her, "Medic!"

* * *

"What's wrong with her?" Musashi asked as he stared at the blond lying on the bed through the glass; hooked up to machines while doctors ran tests around her.

"We believe it's a prototype version of a biological weapon HYDRA has been working on called 'Virus-X.' We found files of it in the bases we raided but nothing about a cure in case it went out of control," explained Stark.

"There's no cure?" Captain Strasberg asked, fearing he may lose her.

"If there is one, it would be at the last base."

"How long does she have?"

"Hard to say but I've been working on cryogenic capsule; it will slow the virus down and keep her alive long enough until you find the cure."

"You can help her right?" Musashi asked the genius, but Howard sighed.

"We can't help her with what we have here at the moment, but with time we can think of something. We'll finish the cryogenic capsule and let her sleep until a cure can be found." Howard was disheartened about that he couldn't do anything for her and Musashi immediately, and Musashi sighed. Neither knew how many years it would take, but Musashi definitely knew that Maria deserved to live.

"Help her as best you can, please make sure she can live in world at peace."

"I'll do what I can, Cap, but there's only so much that can be done." Howard answered and knew he would do what he could to help the young woman.

Musashi said nothing as he kept his gaze on the sleeping blond.

"Hey, we'll do our part here. You go and take care of business."

Musashi stood still, his eyes still focused on Maria but after a moment realizing that he could do nothing to help here, he left to prepare for the next and possibly last mission against HYDRA. His mind wandered back days ago…

* * *

_Christmas Eve 1942_

Cap and the commandos were on their way to the Mess Hall upon just returning from their most recent mission; a little odd since they usually report to briefing room after a mission but they were asked to make their report at the hall. Once they walked through the doors, they got the answer to why.

Garland and ornaments hung from the roof. A big Christmas tree stood in the corner.

"Welcome gentleman. You've been working hard, so we think that you deserve a little something." Howard said and Fury nodded. Various Christmas songs started to play as room lit up. It was a party.

"This is a reward for all your hard work, and we might not get another chance to meet up like this." Jack Fury added as he gave the go-ahead for the party.

"Wow, I feel a little under-dressed for this," Musashi quipped, looking down at his uniform.

The outfit had gone through a redesign, courtesy of Maria. It retained the same appearance as the stage costume but moved more into function than fashion. The shoulders were now padded with light armor and attached to a utility belt with red straps in place of the red stripes from the old outfit. The boots and gloves were army standard issue but colored red. The mask was still the same except it was made more like a helmet and the wing ornaments were now just pictures on the temples.

Finally, there was the shield. The new circular one Stark had given him was painted with three rings, red then white then red again, and the center was a blue circle with a white star.

"I think you look fine," a feminine voice spoke.

The super soldier turned towards the source; Maria but now she was clad in a stunning white evening gown. The sight had left Musashi speechless. Maria herself blushed at the attention she was receiving from Musashi before she walked up to him.

"This could be the only time we can dance together." She said.

"I don't know how to dance." Musashi said, and Maria took his arm and led him to the dance floor, just as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer started to play.

"Then I'll just have to teach you." She giggled as they started the routine. Some of the others saw this and smiled.

Maria then glanced up, "Lee, we're under the mistletoe."

Musashi looked up above. Sure enough, there was the festive plant and he knew all to well what happens next. He felt the blond girl's finger tilt his chin down and surprised the super soldier with a full blown kiss on the lips.

* * *

Captain America pushed the memories of that night back for now as he gazed at the fortress that was HYDRA's final base. He had not realized that he had been thinking of that night over and over again until just now.

"Flash, do your stuff," he ordered.

"Right," Garrick replied as he zipped off.

"Commandoes, let's move. Dugan, cover high. Jack, Pinkerton, Flank ahead."

"Yes sir!" the three said as Flash went on ahead to make sure they can get in.

"And me sir?" Bucky asked, with eagerness towards his younger friend.

"You're with me. We kick the Red Skull's ass today, and then we can go home." Musashi said as The Flash gave the signal.

The Howling Commandos rushed in with Captain America leading the way. Bullets were fired and shots deflected as the Cap used his shield to stop the super-tech of Hydra, while using it as a boomerang to fend off his foes. Bucky helped by keeping more baddies off his back, and all without super powers.

* * *

"Now, we begin the ritual to summon a new army from across the cosmic plane. The Cosmic Cube is in place, and the Rune Stones are aligned." The Red Skull said, as Dr. Zola had placed the glowing blue cube into its place, to amplify the power of what would happen.

* * *

Cap and Bucky had managed to break through to reach the front door of the, for lack of a better term, castle. HYDRA soldiers charged forward but easily dropped like flies at Cap's hands or shield. It didn't last long for in a matter of minutes, all the HYDRA soldiers were down on the ground, save one in front of the door. The last trooper raised his gun to fire only to have the door slam open onto him, knocking him out.

"You boys done out here yet?" asked Garrick, standing in the doorway.

"We're not as fast as you, Flash, but you need us as well." Captain America said as they moved in further in. They then saw something that stopped them: A literal Hydra.

"What the hell is Red Skull up to?!" He said as the serpent dragon roared at the soldiers up to them. The hydra roared before it launched itself to the group. That was when shots were started to fire, and Musashi blocked the initial strike with his shield, then smacked the creature back with said shield.

One soldier, Manelli, picked up one of the heavy machine guns the HYDRA troopers carried and opened fire on the multi-headed beast. The barrage managed to sever one of the beast's heads but the legends were proven true when two more heads grew out from the stump. With various options running through his head, Cap settled on one he believed may work.

"Bucky, I need you to throw a grenade into its mouth!"

"Sure thing Cap, just give me the word!" Bucky said as Musashi went up, bashed one of the heads and more as he then forced one of them opened.

"NOW!" Bucky pulled the pin and tossed the grenade as hard as he could while The Flash was busy keeping the other heads distracted, with one good explosion the hydra was finally slain as it collapsed to the ground.

"What has HYDRA been doing?"

"Not sure, Bucky, but if this thing is any indication; it can't be good," Cap grimaced as he looked over the dead creature.

"Sneaking in shouldn't be a problem if this thing was their best defense."

"I think stealth would be a moot point. I'm willing to bet 5 bucks Skull already knows we're here."

"I'll take that bet."

* * *

Musashi and Bucky had found a room with light and entered, and they found their objective.

"Good of you to join me Herr Captain, to witness my greatest triumph." The Red Skull said as he figured, from the disturbance, that the boy and his group were infiltrating his lair.

"Looks like I owe you 5 bucks," said Bucky.

"We're here to shut you down Skull. You've lost!"

"Have I? You are about to witness my greatest victory. With the aid of Dr. Zola, I can now breach beyond the dimensions, an army of creatures from myth, giants of old, and even demons from hell. They are all waiting for me to summon them with these Rune Stones and the Cosmic Cube, I will rule the world. HEIL HYDRA!" The Red Skull countered the captain, and then they did look around to see so many different creatures, fierce wolves far larger then normal, harpies of Greek myth, and they could swear they saw a demon with red skin and twisted horns upon his head, and it wasn't just a few of them.

"Sweet Lord in Heaven." Bucky said softly when he saw all the creatures, even little pixies. All of them trapped in large glass chambers of some sort.

Bucky was snapped out of his reverie when he and Cap felt a gun barrel poke into their backs.

"Come join me up front, Herr Captain," Skull mused.

Not having much of a choice, Cap allowed a HYDRA trooper to take his shield and he and Bucky.

"How'd you do it, Schmidt, pulling these creatures out of fairy tales?"

"It wasn't easy, make no mistake about that," chuckled the HYDRA leader, "But I owe most of the idea to my young protégé."

As if the last sentence was a command to step forward, a young man did so. He was around Cap's age; maybe a few years older. Tall and lean with dark hair, he stood at attention; awaiting orders.

"Allow me to introduce, my young apprentice, Lorenz Keel. Just as Erskine took you in, I felt it would be appropriate to train one for my own. Herr Keel was in Egypt finishing a clean up of one of Hitler's little treasure hunts a few years back after they were unsuccessful."

"The Tanis project I believe it was. They were looking for the Ark of the Covenant," Zola added, "I also heard that Dietrich was in charge and he was foiled by a school teacher; Jones I believe his name was."

"The point, however," Schmidt continued, "is that young Keel found a very interesting relic there."

The Red Skull then held up an old piece of parchment.

"Paper?" asked Bucky.

"This 'paper' is a piece of the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the oldest documents in history, and it tells of how one can become as gods beyond tale. Even as the so-called 'Yahweh' of the Jews." The Red Skull said with extreme sarcasm, making not of his heretical ideals.

"Your insane!" Musashi added and even Bucky was intimidated by the events of what was transpiring.

"It is no myth, once the Dead Sea Scrolls are all found, fully translated and the methodology comprehended then we will witness the birth of a new god. I personally have studied these concepts and will see to them in the bitter end." Keel said, with a bit of sadness in his tone, and yet there was something else. A red and yellow streak started running around and disarming the group, freeing Captain America and Bucky.

"What kept you?" quipped Cap, picking up his shield.

"Traffic was a pain," answered the Flash.

"Dr. Zola, open the portal!" ordered Skull.

The Cosmic Cube began to shine as power coursed through the tubing connecting it to the stones all around. In the center, light began to shine brighter as a tower of energy erupted.

"What shall we bring over today?" Skull asked maliciously, "A frost giant? A Cyclops? I hear a manticore is notably vicious."

Flash didn't give him a chance to find out as he picked up a pipe and smashed it against the container holding the cube. The force knocked the relic across the room and into the portal, causing it to disappear. The sudden cut off from the power source caused the unstable energy to backfire into the equipment, wrecking them. The energy discharge did indeed close the portal, but the base was starting to blow up. Various systems were blowing up, and that included the containment systems that released the various creatures from their prisons. With no way to contain them and train them, they started attacking the Hydra agents and ignored the humans that were with the captain. Lorenz Keel had decided to slip away from the chaos, but the Red Skull looked around at the massacre that was going on.

"Your plans failed Skull, it's over." Captain America said as he and Bucky pointed their guns, but the Skull had other plans.

"You merely wound me Herr Captain, but HYDRA shall never die. Cut off one head and two shall grow in its place." The insane German grabbed one of the rune stones then pressed a button, getting everyone or thing to stop, the creatures ran leaving only bloody Hydra soldier corpses and some of their own. Schmidt had dropped down into a rocket of all things and Musashi grabbed on, but he didn't expect Bucky to get on as well.

"Make sure the boys get out all right Flash!" Musashi ordered, and with a salute, after managing to fight a few HYDRA soldiers himself, dashed off to find the rest of the howling commandos.

The rocket then blasted off into the sky, carrying two stowaways with the Red Skull.

"I got your back, Cap!" shouted Bucky.

"Let's end this!" smiled Musashi.

The two climbed up the rocket until Cap was the first to reach the cockpit. Inside, Johann Schmidt growled in annoyance as he cradled his last rune stone in his hand. Suddenly, the American super-soldier punched through the canopy, broke the clips on the side of helmet when it struck across the chin and tore out the control panel on the other side of the cockpit. His uniform was then grabbed by the lapel and pulled towards Cap's face, the sudden motion caused Schmidt's mask to fall off and reveal his true face. The lips on the right side had shriveled into nothing, leaving his teeth bare. His forehead had grown outwards, his left eye was enlarged and several blotched of blood had pooled in several spots across his face.

"Ugh, you looked better with that thing on," Musashi said in disgust.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, boy, except a one way trip to hell!" Schmidt then slammed his hand on a button next to the control stick and pulled the ejection lever.

"Auf Wiedersehen, Captain America!"

However, what he failed to notice was the wires from the torn out panel had wrapped around his wrist, the one holding the stone. When the seat rocketed upwards, the wires tighten so fast that they sliced through Schmidt's wrist; cutting off his hand. As he fell away, the Red Skull screamed in pain and agony.

The Captain and his pal Bucky were still riding the rocket to it's destination. The Red Skull got away, but they managed to stop a greater threat. Bucky was having a hard time holding on to the rocket and the Captain still had to find a way to control it.

"Cap, there's a bomb on this ride!" Bucky yelled out, and that was when he realized that it was not only an escape route, but a trap as well.

"I'll get the bomb Bucky, you get up here and try to steer this thing home!"

"Sorry Cap, but I'm closer, and you've got a girl back home waiting for ya. I've got nothing; nothing but my pride. It's been good serving under ya!" Bucky said ripping the bomb as best he could and dropped to the cold waters below.

Cap reached for his comrade; unknown to him, the cold air had made the outer hull of the rocket icy and his grip slipped causing him to fall off. He saw Bucky hit the water first and then an underwater explosion erupted to the surface.

"BUCKY!" Musashi shouted as he too splashed into the freezing ocean.

Falling from such a high height then hitting the surface of the water had left Musashi dazed and his consciousness was fading. As his world grew dark, he kept thinking about his lost comrade.

'_Bucky'_

His life seemed to flash before his eyes; the days he was bullied as child; the day his father died; the day his mother died. At the end of it all one face kept appearing over and over, the one face that gave his life light.

'_Maria'_

And then Musashi Lee Strasberg alias Captain America knew no more as he drifted in the ice cold waters.

* * *

Jackson Fury, Jay "The Flash" Garrick and all the rest of the Howling Commandos hung their heads in silence upon hearing the news of the fate of Musashi and Bucky.

"Now what?" asked Flash.

"Stark has gone out looking for them. Everyone else is being reassigned," said Fury.

"To what?" Asked one of the commandos, and Jackson held out a folder that said S.H.I.E.L.D.

"This is the newest project that the US is willing to fund. This should take care of any and all threats before they happen. Should you accept being a part of this, you accept a higher responsibility to not just America, but the world as a whole."

"Sounds like fun but I'm gonna have to pass," declined Flash.

"Sorry Garrick, but you got different orders."

Fury then handed Garrick a different folder.

"Orders from General Talbot, you're going after Hitler himself."

* * *

Lorenz Keel walked behind his new commanding officer as the older man looked over the report.

"What of Schmidt?"

"I don't know what happened to him, sir."

"I see. Nevertheless, I am intrigued by these Dead Sea Scrolls, Herr Keel, and your record and ability to acquire the one piece you found," The officer continued as he stopped and turned to the young HYDRA agent.

"Thank you sir."

"I want you to continue to search for these scrolls; you will have a team and resources at your disposal. If we can decipher them, HYDRA will become gods."

"As you command, Herr Zemo."

* * *

The rocket had continued on its course for hours but without someone or something guiding it, the vehicle was quickly losing altitude. It got to the point that it was low enough that it crashed into a cliff face. The shock from impact caused the engine to detonate; debris scattered across the rocky landscape. The most notable was the Red Skull's severed hand still clenching the rune stone. It hit the ground, making the stone fly out of the detached limb's grip and bounce across the field until it fell down a hole in the cliff.

As if guided by some force, the stone continued down its twisting and winding path until it exited into a cave. The chamber was very open with little to no obstructions, save for a single large stalagmite in the center of the room. The stone bounced and ricocheted off the walls and floor, never once breaking or chipping itself, until it came to a stop at the base of the stone spire in the center.

The rune on the stone began to glow as energy snaked out and crawled on and into the stalagmite. When it all had seeped into the rock, the rune had vanished from the stone just as a fissure broke along the spire. The crack grew larger and light escaped from within until the stone broke and fell to the floor; revealing what it had kept hidden for untold time.

A leather-wrapped handle pointed straight up, a single strap hung from the side, connected to a rectangular metal hammer head; the rune that was once on the stone took its place on the weapon as electricity sparked and crackled around the head.

An inscription began to shine on the surface of the weapon in many different languages but they all said the exact same thing:

'_Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.'_

* * *

**A/N: And thus ends Cap's origin story but, we'll be seeing him again. I'll let you guys guess on who will appear next.**


	5. Origins: Burning Vengeance, Iron Will

_2002_

It had been one year since the cataclysm known as 'Second Impact' and things have gone to hell in a hand basket. Nations in upheaval, rumors of another global war where some have already started civil wars; people were scared and unsure of the future. One such individual was sitting outside the hospital. He was fairly attractive man in his early twenties with messy dark brown hair.

The man answered to the name of Ryoji Kaji and at this moment, he highly doubted his life could get any worse.

Just last year, he had broken up with his girlfriend, one Misato Katsuragi; only to discover she was at ground zero when SI occurred; she was the only survivor and had been comatose ever since. Both his parents died in the government upheaval when riots broke out across Japan. Now, his younger brother whom he had sworn to his parents that he would keep safe had just died when he got caught in the crossfire between rioters and police.

"You look like a man who could use some help," a smooth voice said.

Kaji looked up and saw a man; sharply dressed and groomed, a good natured grin was upon his lips and yet something within Kaji told him there was a great evil near.

"Yeah, but I doubt you can help me stranger." Kaji said as the man seemed to walk with a cane, one that had a skull at the top of it.

"Perhaps so, and perhaps not. What if I could give your brother back?" The man said, but Ryoji wasn't sure about the idea that the man suggested. Kaji started to scowl at the man before him.

"If this is some sort of a joke then it's not funny. I just lost my brother." The man in question looked hurt for a moment.

"I'm not joking sir. I could bring your brother back, but at a cost."

"You're serious?"

"Very," the man said, grinning.

Kaji contemplated the man's offer until…

"Name your price."

"Oh, uh…" the man looked around as if looking for something, "I think I'll take…" He then appeared to be thinking hard of what to say next. He then adopted a subtle sinister grin.

"…your soul."

Kaji looked at the man as if he was crazy; after his last phrase, he just might be.

"What?"

"I said I was serious Mr. Kaji."

Ryoji began to grow wary of this man; the things he had been saying, he shouldn't have known about them just after meeting this guy.

"How do you know my name and how did you know about my brother?"

"It's sort of my profession to know. Your brother's life will be restored, just as I said. I'll you need to do…"

The man, holding his grin, threw a stack of papers at Kaji's feet. As if by magic, it flipped until it reached a page with a dotted line marked with an "x."

"…is sign."

Ryoji contemplated what was going on, but he figured it was more like a sick joke. There was still that 'what if' that gnawed at the back of his mind. He went to sign on the dotted line, but cut himself on something. He hissed in pain and a single drop of blood landed on the X-ed and dotted line.

"Sorry, I was just 'bout to si-"

"It's quite alright. In fact that drop of blood is more then enough for me. I'll see you at a later date Ryoji Kaji." The man said before a flash of lightning passed outside, and if Kaji was looking at the man's shadow, then he would have seen that it never looked human to begin with. The man disappeared the same as he appeared, almost out of nowhere.

_'What was that?'_ Ryoji thought as he watched in and saw something that was impossible. His brother, who had been dead just moments ago, breathed deeply and the heart monitor showed that his heart was beating once more. The younger man looked at his brother with half-lidded eyes.

"Ryoji?"

Ryoji felt tears fall from his eyes and a smile grow. They came to sudden stop when he saw his brother suddenly develop shortness of breath and his heart rate skyrocket. Doctors and nurses came rushing in.

"Wasn't he dead?"

"Doesn't matter, he's going into SVT! Prep for defib!"

They set to work getting the man under control, supplying oxygen and prepping the defibrillator.

"All set, CLEAR!"

The nurse moved in to deliver the shock. At the same time, as if the universe or something otherworldly decided to intervene, a bolt of lightning struck a power line. Rather than disable the power, it traveled along the line, into the facility and across the various machinery within; including the defibrillator in the nurse's hand just as he delivered the shock to stabilize the younger Kaji brother's heart rate.

The shock was so intense with the electricity that it was torturous to even hear the pained scream as the heart monitor flat lined once more. Ryoji just stared at what happened, his brother was alive for a few seconds only to be fried by the people that tried to save his life again, it was a cruel twist of fate.

* * *

Hours later, we find Kaji riding across the freeway on his motorcycle as if it provided an escape from this horrid nightmare. Suddenly, as if he just blinked into existence, a man appeared in the road; right in the grieving man's path. Kaji swerved out of the way to avoid him and flew of his bike. After coming to halt from his spill, he looked up and saw it was the same guy he made a deal with to get his brother back. Rage then grew in Ryoji's eyes as he got to his feet and approached the man.

"You… you Son of a Bitch! YOU LIED TO ME!"

He swung his fist but only hit air; the man had disappeared as if he were vapor.

"I restored his life as our agreement. Whatever happens afterwards is not my concern."

The man's voice echoed all around, Kaji searched for the man just so he could tear him a new one. He spun around and suddenly felt a hand clutching his chest. Kaji looked up and saw the man looking at him in a smug and sinister way. The younger man then felt enormous pain as if something was trying to pull all of organs, muscles and bones out of his body. The man then took his hand away and Kaji collapsed to the ground.

"Wha… what did you do to me?"

"I merely collected my payment and gave you your change."

"Change?" Kaji asked, now feeling a subtle burning sensation growing inside him.

"Yes, a little something to remember me by."

Kaji felt he was going to vomit as the burning grew worse. He tried to hold it in but he could only do it for so long. When he let go, what came out was something he never expected: fire.

"Been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kaji."

Kaji wasn't paying attention when the man spoke and finally disappeared again. The sensation was too much; he felt like his skin was going to burn off. Much to his horror when he looked at his hand; it literally was. Everything felt like it was burning off. Unable to bear it any longer; Kaji let out a blood-curdling scream as he was engulfed in flames.

When it died, a single figure remained kneeling in the road where Kaji had been. It wore the same clothes that Ryoji was wearing but now they were slightly burned. The one wearing it all, however, was far from being slightly burned. In Kaji's place was a skeleton, every bone visible and not was charred black. Fire spewed from with the skeleton's clothing and seemed to wrap around the head. It raised both bony hands; the empty sockets staring at them. It then glanced at it's reflection in the motorcycle's hubcap.

It then threw its head back and released a call that sounded like a mixture between a man's cry of anguish and a monstrous roar.

* * *

_Elsewhere_

Shigeru Aoba sighed for what he thought was for the thousandth time. He was a communications and technology student, not an archaeologist like his father.

_'And pops thinks he's Dr. Jones.'_ He thought as he was forced to shift through the records to make sure everything was in place and any finds were documented.

It was unusual for a Japanese male to even be interested in the research of Norse mythology and Nordic stories. Aoba himself would rather head for a campus party and flirt with a few women rather then this grunt work.

"Shigeru, have you finished going through the records yet?"

"Yeah dad."

"Excellent, could bring the files on Mjolnir to my study?"

"On what?"

"Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor."

"Dad, I can't even spell… Meloner or Molar or whatever you said."

"It's vital to my research, son. I am so close to cracking the code to its whereabouts."

Shigeru sighed once more and shifted through until he found a file that looked like the word his father said.

Shigeru's father looked at the file and smiled for a bit.

"Yes this is the correct file, thank you Aoba. Although, you should make sure you learn the spelling." The senior Aoba said with a light chuckle while he opened the file and started to look through it.

"Like that's gonna happen," the younger Aoba said under his breath.

Now it was the elder's turn to sigh. He had heard his son's remark and knew the tension between them had been growing thick over the past few days. He also knew what he was going to say next was going to open the floodgates but it was going to happen sooner or later. Might as well get it over with now.

"Shigeru… son, is there something bothering you?" he asked but he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"This…" he said waving his hands at all the material around them. "Dad, people around the world are scared and starving. The world is almost in chaos and you're here chasing fairytales. You've been obsessed with this ever since mom died."

"It's because of these 'fairy tales' that mankind learned as a society. Truth is always far stranger then fiction, and mankind has forgotten how to be a society. If I can find Mjolnir, then perhaps mankind will remember what made us strong." The elder Aoba said and Shigeru just clenched his fist.

"We don't need myths! What we need are facts, you stubborn bastard!"

"This was your mother's life's work! She dedicated so much to her research!"

"And she got ridiculed for it."

"Then you disrespect your mother with this! I don't care if you disrespect me, but to disrespect the same person that gave you life?!"

"This cost mom her life and you're gonna waste away yours!"

The elder Aoba knew something like this was going to happen but he didn't believe it would go this bad. To hear his own flesh and blood speak this way about both him and his mother angered him beyond reason.

"GET OUT!"

"FINE!" Shigeru shouted as he stomped out of his father's office in rage.

_'Damn old man can't stop chasing fairy tales and do what's right! Mom was the same! None of them get that we don't need gods to solve our problems!' _Shigeru thought as he stomped elsewhere.

He'd rather party or find a more constructive use of time then chasing down old wives tales and 'false' artifacts that were from a bygone time.

* * *

_2004_

Shinji had no idea how long he had been crying but given everything that has happened to him recently; everyone would say he had all rights to. His mother died while working on some kind of big, purple… monster thing. Then his father just up and dumped him with his aunt and uncle that he had never seen. At least he would have been had there not been a clause in Yui's will stating that should his father surrender his paternal duties, Shinji was to go to his Godfather; whoever that was.

A possible answer came in the form of an expensive-looking imported car stopping in front of him. Stepping out of the vehicle was an attractive Caucasian foreign women with red hair and freckles, dressed in a business suit.

The woman looked at the boy crying and kneeled to his eye level.

"Hello, my name is Pepper Pots, are you Shinji Ikari?" She asked exceptionally kindly as the Shinji stopped crying for a minute to look at her.

"H-hai, my name is Shinji Ikari." Shinji answered quite timidly.

"I'm here to pick you up on behalf of your godfather. He's a busy man, but I'm sure you'd like him." She said as she stood up and offered a hand. Shinji was still sad, any child would after losing his mother, but he took her hand and entered the car to meet with her employer.

(Scene Break)

Tony Stark lost track of how long he had been staring in the mirror. If you had asked him ten years ago, he would say it was because he 'looked so damn good.' Stark had lived most of his life hedonistically: lavish parties, beautiful women; all the trimmings and without a care in the world. That all came to end on 'That day.'

He and two others had been taken hostage by insurgents in the Middle East. They were held hostage in order to make weapons for a group that called themselves the Ten Rings, and intended to do what every other terrorist organization had done since before World War I: take over their region and spread their influence into the world before taking it over. One was a professor named Yinsen, and he was a medical expert. The other was a woman of Japanese descent named Yui, and he would've hit on her if the situation wasn't as dire. They managed to keep him alive from a bombing that had left some shrapnel in his chest, and would have slowly killed him if it wasn't for a magnet and a car battery. With their help he managed to make a cleaner, more potent substitute to that battery, a miniature ARC reactor. They managed to escape, or rather he and Yui managed to escape using their combined intellect, knowledge, and determination they managed to create a means to escape, all but Yinsen.

"Sir, Ms. Potts has arrived with young Mr. Ikari," a disembodied voice said, snapping him out of his daze.

"Thank you, JARVIS," Tony said to the computerized butler.

Tony then made his way to the living room but came to a stop when his eyes caught sight of 'it.' 'It' was roughly six to seven feet tall, made of pieces of metal shoddily welded together. Bulky and cumbersome looking; its shape was that of man with a hole in the chest the size of a grapefruit. To others, it was the last weapon Tony ever made; but to Tony, it was a constant reminder of why he got out of the weapons industry and a promise he made.

_'I'll make sure no one else suffers because of me. There's got to be a way to stop all this madness,'_ Tony thought as Pepper and Shinji entered the house. Shinji was very scared, but he looked around with a degree of awe at everything.

"Yo, you're Shinji right?" Tony asked with a pleasant smile getting the boy's attention. Shinji had a shocked jump before looking at the friendly man and nodded. Tony guessed the boy was still grieving, even if Shinji himself didn't know what it meant.

"I'm sorry about Yui, your mom, and even thought I can't bring her back, I'll make sure you're taken care of. I'm Anthony Edward Stark, but everyone I know just calls me Tony."

* * *

**A/N: And that's another one. You can probably guess who's who in this chapter but if you want to guess about any of the others for the future; feel free to.**


	6. Origins: Animal Within, Green with Rage1

_2008 _

After so many years of chaos due to second impact, a chance to return to normalcy was all too welcome. The Summer Olympics was a chance to restore things to the way they were, both with other countries and the lives of the everyday people. At the moment, it was the final round of the Archery event and one contestant was favored to win the gold.

Makoto Hyuuga had spent the last few rounds blowing the competition away and the crowd was roaring with cheers. The two announcers' voice came over the intercoms.

_/We are back at the 2008 Summer Olympics and if you are just tuning in, we are down to the finals in the Archery event. The number one contender is Makoto Hyuga from Japan. This kid has been striking the dead center of the bull's eye like he's right next to it./_

_/That's no surprise, Mack. Hyuga was found to be born with a very rare, very severe and very extreme case of Hyperopia; that's far-sightedness for those of us who don't have PhDs. In Hyuga's case, he can actually see so far away that it's like binocular vision. Both his coaches and Olympic officials ran test and found he could read a book from 120 yards away. This has earned him the nickname "Hawkeye."/_

Makoto prepped another arrow and lined his shot in his sight.

_/Would his eye condition break any kind of rules, Jo?/_

_/Not exactly, Mack. Since his unique far-sightedness condition is naturally occurring, it is not considered illegal. Plus, Hyuga has commented that he needs corrective glasses to see things close to him./_

Hyuga stared down the arrow shaft and could see the center of the target.

_/All "Hawkeye" Hyuga has to do is nail this last shot and Japan will be taking home its first gold medal in archery./_

The crowd had become silent as Hyuga took aim. The moment came to an abrupt halt when a swarm of officials came storming onto the field, causing the crowd to erupt in talk as to why.

"This event has been postponed. We have received an anonymous tip of one of the athletes using illegal steroids."

The crowd was stunned silent as all the contestants were escorted off the field.

* * *

It had been several hours since the Archery event was put on hold. Makoto was getting restless and wanted the one who had been using the drugs to come forward. He had seen many athletes and coaches leave one by one until he and his coach was the only one left. An official peeked outside and signaled for them to come in.

* * *

"It is the decision of the judges that Makoto Hyuga be disqualified from the event on grounds of suspicion of using performance enhancers."

"What?!" Hyuga shouted.

His coach stepped forward.

"That's impossible, Makoto is clean. He was tested even the day before the event. It all came back clean."

"Further more, as punishment for this unsportsmanlike conduct; we have come to the decision to ban Makoto Hyuga from competing in the Olympics for life," the judge continued as if he didn't hear the coach defend his athlete.

The other judges looked as though they were all in agreement; except one. He looked at the others and felt such a call came about a little too quickly. He had a feeling that something was not quite right.

"The decision is final."

Makoto, however, wasn't paying attention to the one judge. He was devastated at being accused of a something he knew he didn't do and was being punished for it. They all watched as the young man walked out with his head hung in shame. The one judge kept his eyes on him as he disappeared through the door; determined to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

_Days Later_

_/We are live at the International Olympic Committee headquarters where just minutes ago, six Judge officials were arrested; all accused of accepting bribes. These judges were responsible for disqualifying and banning Japan's Makoto Hyuga for allegedly using performance enhancers during the Archery event. The charges against Hyuga have been dropped due to admission of the judges planting evidence and has been given a formal apology by the committee. We also -/_

The Interpol agent shut-off the news report as he looked over to the single remaining judge.

"This is one hell of a mess."

"No kidding, now the entire committee is being investigated for possible corruption."

"Does the president know it was you?"

"No, but he did say he commended the one who exposed the others as a hero for protecting the committee's integrity."

"What about that Hyuga kid?"

The judge sighed.

"Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Even though, the charges have been dropped, his name has already been dragged through the mud. Did you find out who may have wanted to do this sort of thing?"

The inspector nodded and presented a file.

"His name is Hansuke Tanaka. Nicknamed 'Trickshot;' he was in the running to be one of Japan's competitors in Archery but he lost the spot to Hyuga. He was good but he had anger issues and there were signs of possible sociopathic tendencies."

"I get it; he believed Hyuga cheated him out of the spot and wanted revenge."

"We have a warrant out for his arrest."

"In the meantime, we'll be busy trying to fix the damage this scandal has caused," the judge said as he turned to leave.

"Good luck, you're going to need it."

The officer looked back down at the photo of Makoto Hyuga.

'_Poor kid, all his hopes and dreams; shattered by some punk with a grudge and it cost their country a chance at a gold medal.'_

* * *

_2009_

Amiko Kobayashi dashed through the facility as sounds of explosions and screams echoed in the halls; being absolutely careful not to lose the small child she had by the hand.

_/Red Alert! Red Alert! Containment is at 0%, all personnel evacuate!/_

She didn't need to be told that; she was there when the head brass' precious "Weapons" got loose. By now, the must have rampaged their way to the command center but she didn't care about that. Right now, her priority was to meet up with her soon to be husband get her and the child out. They both came to a halt at an intersection so she could catch her breath. The little boy didn't seem so winded; in fact, he didn't even look like he had been exerting himself at all.

"Amiko, this way!" a man's voice called down from one of the halls.

Junji Suzuhara was a technician at the facility who had grown very close to Amiko over the time they had signed up for this project. It had come to a point that Junji was considering asking her to marry him. However, any plans were put on hold due to all of the "weapons" currently tearing the place apart at the moment. All except one; the child that Amiko had with her.

He led them down further until they reached a door that acted as the only obstacle between the other weapons and escape. He pulled on the door's handle but try as he might, it would not budge.

"No good. The locks must have kicked in when the red alert was sounded," he said in a defeated tone.

Amiko then kneeled down to the child's eye level.

"Honey, I know that you don't like to but I need you to use your gift on that lock."

The boy looked at the back of his hands and whimpered. Amiko then gave the boy a comforting hug.

"I know it hurts when you use it, sweetie, but I promise this'll be the last time I ask you to," she smiled to the child as she led him to the door.

"I'll keep an eye out for trouble," said Junji.

The older male kept his gaze focused on the other end of the hallway, expecting any guards or worse; one of the weapons. Behind him, he could hear Amiko talking to the small boy until he heard an odd sound. If he were to put it into words, it would have sounded like 'snikt!' next he heard the sound of rending metal followed by the 'snikt' sound again.

"Okay, let's go," said Amiko.

Junji quickly followed them outside and noticed the boy's hand had three lines of blood in between his knuckles ran down the back and yet there was no wound or scarring of any kind. They continued to run for a few good yards…

"Hold it!"

…Until they ran into one of the facility guards. The guard had his gun fixed on the adults but kept his attention more on the kid. Judging by the way he was shaking, this guy was a new recruit and therefore didn't know what to expect.

"Down on the ground, now!"

The adults complied but the kid stood where he was, frightened by the gun.

"I said on get down on the grou-"

The grunt's command was cut short when he ducked out of the way of a beam of red energy which hit a tree behind him, causing to fall right on top of him. Taking advantage of the situation, the trio then bolted away, not bothering to see if he was still alive or not.

The continued for a few hours before they stopped to rest; believing they had gotten far enough away.

"Now what?" asked Junji

"Nothing much we can do. We might as well hand in our resignations since the head brass will be chewed out by the committee; assuming they're still alive once the 'weapons' get through with them," said Amiko.

"I meant about him," Junji pointed to the boy with them.

Amiko was silent for a bit and then smiled warmly.

"I don't think they or anyone needs to know. And I have grown fond of the name Suzuhara, what about you, Touji?"

The boy looked at Amiko and started to smile as well.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The now identified Touji jumped into her arms. She then looked him in the eye.

"But first, you must promise me that you will never reveal your gifts to anyone. Unless it is an absolute emergency and you have no other choice, you won't show them to a single soul."

"I promise, mom," he said wholeheartedly.

* * *

_2010_

Ryoji Kaji wasn't sure how long he had been going from town to town but it felt like he has been moving for his entire life. The reason for this was the result of the deal he made with that stranger so many years ago. The man had put something in him, a spirit… a demon… or something; he didn't know what it was. He did know, however, that it likes to come out only at night or in the shadows; especially when evil people are near. The creature within him senses these ne'er-do-wells, it hijacks Ryoji's body and transforms into that burning skeleton so that it may punish them in the most sadistic ways it wants; forcing Kaji to watch every time. He tried to end his misery once but that damned demon would not let him die. With no other choice, he opted to more or less live his life as a vagabond.

These days, Ryoji hangs around bars and dives, like the one he was sitting in now. He always made sure to only go out in the day and to stay inside and as far away from people as possible at night. Right now, he felt his life had hit rock bottom, that it couldn't possible suck any worse than it already did and the only one he may share his view was that little girl whose billionaire parents were gunned down. He believed the name was Yamagishi or something but he was too preoccupied with the bottle of whiskey in his hand to figure it out.

"You look like you've been through hell," a man's voice said to him.

Kaji looked up to the one who spoke. Indeed, Ryoji did look terrible what with the dark rings under his eyes, the disheveled long hair, and the thick five o'clock shadow on his face. The man who spoke was dark-skinned with a goatee and clean shaven head. He was dressed on a black shirt and pants with a matching trench coat. The most notable feature was the eye patch.

"Buddy, you don't know the meaning of the word," the possessed man said to the newcomer.

"Yeah, maybe. But what I DO know is who you are, Ryoji Kaji. And I know what you have inside you. That thing that waits to strike down any evil within its reach."

Kaji was soon on edge. How did this man know who he is and about that creature?

"Legend tells that it's known as Zarathos, a spirit of vengeance. And it needs a human host to fulfill its desire to punish the guilty. That human becomes the Ghost Rider."

"Nice ghost story, maybe I'll tell it around the campfire at my next scout meeting."

The man didn't look the slightest bit amused but he continued on.

"I assure you that this is no joke and I'm here with an offer."

"I'll pass. The last time someone offered me something, it didn't pan out well."

Kaji then took another swig of his alcohol as the other man took out a red jewel.

"What's that?"

"Part of the offer. It's called the Bloodstone, it'll help you get that thing under your control."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Ryoji scoffed.

The dark man gave an all-knowing smirk.

"Hold out your hand," he said.

Kaji did so as the man put the stone in his hand and kept it there with his fingers. He then picked up a single candle that illuminated the table and blew it out.

"Now re-light the candle with you other hand."

Ryoji looked at the man oddly, not believing he was serious. Still he decided to humor him; even though he wasn't sure how he was going to with one hand.

"What am I supposed to do, snap my fingers?" he asked as he did snap his fingers.

To his shock the candle relit. Out of curiosity, he snapped his fingers again and the flame went out. Again and it relit. Again and it went out. He had snapped again, making it relight just as the newcomer took the stone out his hand. Now with the stone out of his grip, he tried snapping his fingers; nothing happened. He tried again and again; still nothing. It was then Kaji realized this man was telling the truth; he had a way to get the power under his control, not the demon's. For the first time in so long, Ryoji Kaji felt hope but he knew something like this must have a price.

"What are you after?"

"I'm here to offer you a job and a chance to find out the truth. If you'd like to sign up, I'll throw in this as an incentive," the man grinned as he dangled the Bloodstone in front of the disheveled man.

"The truth to what?"

"To everything that's happened to the world since Second Impact. To find out why, how and most importantly of all, who."

Kaji looked at him in bewilderment. Did this man believe Second Impact was caused by man; on purpose.

"Who are you?"

"The name is Nick Fury. I'm the director of SHIELD."

* * *

_2013_

A dark office was illuminated by a single TV.

_/The youth of this day and age are exploding with prestige. In America, young Shinji Ikari has just graduated Summa Cum Laude from MIT at just 11 years old. The godson of former weapons mogul Tony Stark has impressed many across globe that Stark has actually named young Ikari his heir apparent to Stark Industries. And across the Atlantic, Asuka Langley Soryu of Germany has been making waves as she's been blowing away Europe's greatest minds. But here in Japan, we have our own little geniuses. Little Ms. Mayumi Yamagishi has been sticking to her studies like glue. The orphaned daughter of Anata and Yuriko Yamagishi will assume the role as owner of Yamagishi Enterprises when she comes of age. Our most recent discovery, Mr. Keita Asari, a native to Hokkaido-2, has been making waves of his own as he spearheads his research into new kinds of medicine. The youth of 11 already has 2 PhDs in Biochemistry and Physics and has become a hometown hero. In contrast, there has been some concerns of Mr. Asari's use of Gamma Radiation for his research but the young man has-/_

The TV was shut off as the two occupants of the room stared at each other.

"Do you understand what needs to be done?" Gendo Ikari asked his Section 2 chief.

"Yes sir, fully."

"Good, you may go."

Chiron nodded and left for his mission. Fuyutsuki walked up to Commander Ikari's desk and took a seat.

"Ikari, I never made a complaint about when you had Yamagishi's parents removed from the picture but Asari is just a child."

"His gamma research has been giving me and the old men concerns; all obstacles must and will be eliminated."

The former university professor leaned back, still in disbelief that the one his prized pupil married would sink so low.

"Obstacles, is that what you called the Weapons Program in Osaka a few years back?" he asked with a harsh tone.

"Those beings were a mistake; humanity's true evolution will come through instrumentality. They had to be eliminated."

"Then how come they haven't found one body of those, what did you call them; mutants?"

Gendo remained silent.

"Did you ever ask yourself what awaits you when your time comes?"

"I know exactly what awaits me: Yui."

Fuyutsuki let out a tired sigh; knowing how the man in front of him gets. He hoped that nothing would come back to haunt him because of what this man has done and what he is going to do.


End file.
